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We are coming off one of the best all around years the industry has ever seen. To give you an idea of how great 2006 was, take the Game of the Year Award that so many like to annually toss around. You could get a different answer from everyone you ask. Websites, magazines, television, and everyday Joes were decidedly split into many pieces; all hailing a different “Game of the Year.” What that means is that there were a lot of great games. A dozen easily could have been nominated by any modest gamer. Apparently there is much more to come. This year is going to be a console gamer’s feast!

2007 could very well go down as the biggest year in gaming history. That's a pretty tall order but this year has more can't miss titles and hype than any year before. With all three consoles up to speed, we've got a plethora of games, games, and more games!

First let's scope out the menu and see what the specialties are. We’ve got classic franchises from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. Usually the big guns are released in a year to themselves but this year all the eggs are coming out of the basket. Nintendo has not only a Metroid game, but also a dish of Super Mario. Both are surefire can't misses. In addition to them, Nintendo promises another RPG entree with a new Dragon Quest title.

Meanwhile, some of Sony’s main courses are God of War 2, Devil May Cry 4, Final Fantasy XIII and of course, master chef Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid 4. And now that they've finally learned how to make a good Tomb Raider game, they're remaking the original on the Legend engine and is expected to be another tasty treat. They're sequels to sequels, but that only reinforces the guarantee that they will deliver.

But if Sony’s $600+ price tag still leaves a sour taste in your mouth, try the X360 recipe. They’ve already started us off with some appetizers with Lost Planet and Crackdown. They're also providing a couple of can't miss sequels of their own in Fable 2 and Halo 3. Turok’s not looking to shabby either for his fifth outing. Then we have the other original dishes that Microsoft is providing: Lost Odyssey for those with a sweet tooth for an RPG, Alan Wake for the adventurous, 2K's BioShock for those who want their shooters cooked raw, Mass Effect for alien lovers, Left 4 Dead for zombie lovers…the list goes on. That’s the greatest part about it. There’s something for everyone! Even if some of these titles don’t pan out or get delayed for more time in the oven, you’re still certain to order something to satisfy your appetite.

There will be plenty of multi-platform games to occupy our time with the likes of Assassin's Creed, Grand Theft Auto IV and Rogue Warrior leading the pack. If you like your summer blockbusters with lots of aliens blowing up then look out for BlackSite: Area 51. Or if you just can’t wait for yet another WWII mission, Medal of Honor: Vanguard has got you covered. Not to mention the twenty-five hours plus of game play being added to last year’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. And even the Wii is getting spicier with a sequel to Manhunt.

It wasn’t always like this. I remember when you had to dig for more than a handful of great games a year. But that’s because the competition has never been tougher. It used to be Nintendo’s yard in the early nineties with only Sega to challenge them. Now we’ve got three big kitchens cooking up delights left and right. Okay, maybe I’m going too far with the food analogy.

Another great thing about this year is the increasing availability to play older classics. Downloading from the old school is becoming more and more prevalent. And if you can’t afford the caviar price tags of the newest games; don’t worry. Game prices from the previous gen. are at an all time low. You can get some PS2 and XBOX games for five bucks! What a great year to be a gamer.

Finally, like every year, we have the surprises. The games people know nothing or very little about that appear and impress. What kind of games are developers going to make for the Wii? Necro Nesia looks like an interesting survival horror. It sounded good too until they changed the name to Escape From Bug Island. Anyway, Disaster: Day of Crisis and Sadness also had intriguing trailers for Nintendo. As for the PS3, Eight Days and Lair have been making gamers drool since they were announced at E3 last year. It’s hard to speculate on what will be this year’s Okami, but we’ll know it when we see it.

There is no way to understate this year’s lineup. I didn't even get into what might come (stay seated, Resident Evil 5). It is more exciting to be a gamer now than ever before and it is because this is the biggest output the gaming world has ever seen! With all this on the menu, I’ll be too full to ever leave the house! Bon appétit!